Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Ahmed Alhejaili, Manuel Banzhaf
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, on behalf of Shanghai Shangyixun Cultural Communication Co., Ltd.Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium associated with a wide range of community- and hospital-acquired infections. The emergence of clonal hypervirulent strains resistant to last-resort antimicrobial agents has become a global concern. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), with its diverse population and high tourism traffic, serves as a platform where the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains are facilitated. However, the knowledge of epidemiology and population diversity of MDR K. pneumoniae in KSA is scarce. We conducted a comprehensive genomic survey on 352 MDR K. pneumoniae isolates systematically collected from bloodstream and urinary tract infections in 34 hospitals across 15 major cities in KSA during 2022 and 2023. Whole-genome sequencing on the isolates was performed, followed by genomic epidemiology and phylodynamic analysis. Our study revealed a dynamic population characterized by the rapid expansion of several dominant clones, including, ST2096, ST147, and ST231, which were estimated to have emerged within the past decade. These clones exhibited widespread dissemination across hospitals and were genetically linked to global strains, particularly from the Middle East and South Asia. All major clones harboured plasmid-borne ESBLs and carbapenemase genes, with plasmidome analysis identifying multiple IncH, IncA/C and IncL plasmids underlying the MDR-hypervirulent phenotype. These plasmids were shared between major clones and became acquired on the same time scales as the expansion of the dominant clones. Our results report ST2096 as an emerging MDR-hypervirulent clone, emphasizing the need for monitoring of the circulating clones and their plasmid content in the KSA and broader West Asia.
Author(s): Huang J, Alhejaili AY, Alkherd UH, Milner M, Zhou G, Alzahrani D, Banzhaf M, Alzaidi AA, Rajeh AA, Al-Otaiby MA, Alabbad SS, Bukhari D, Aljurayan AN, Aljasham AT, Alzeyadi ZA, Alajel SM, Hong P-Y, Alghoribi M, Almutairi MM, Pain A, Salem WA, Moradigaravand D
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Emerging Microbes and Infections
Year: 2024
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 21/11/2024
Acceptance date: 06/11/2024
Date deposited: 03/12/2024
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2024.2427793
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2427793
PubMed id: 39508718
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
